The Staggering Fall of Youth (sequel to SBA)

16 - Life is Painful

Junmyeon frowned. What sort of peace was Minseok talking about? When he was still human?

Baekhyun, not wanting to anger Minseok anymore, pointed back to the living room. "I'm going to go check on them," he said, leaving Junmyeon and Minseok alone.

As much as Junmyeon wanted to roll his eyes to Baekhyun jumping ship the moment something got to intense, he couldn't say anything. Baekhyun never does that, usually, and didn't need more stress than necessary.

Welp, Junmyeon was left alone to make Minseok feel better. "Did something happen?" he asked Minseok.

"When doesn't something happen," Minseok muttered, showing Junmyeon his phone. "Look at this lengthy text Luhan just sent me."

He had his messages app on, where he could see the contact name reading... something in Chinese, Junmyeon figured out. (He could only read the "My" part). "Luhan texted you?"

"I'm not even fucking worried about Luhan right now," Minseok cut him off. "I'm not going to get what I want in life and it's time for me to accept that, just read the text, Junmyeon."

Junmyeon, who had started reading the long paragraph, only managed to read Hey there was an incident today when he realized what Minseok said. "Oh, come on, Xiu, don't say that-"

"Kim Junmyeon," Minseok said. "Read."

I really need to help him stop being so negative all the time, Junmyeon thought to himself, as he continued reading the paragraph that Luhan sent Minseok, only to see the phone automatically go down to the end where another long paragraph came up. "Uh, he's sending more messages."

"He's what-" Minseok took the phone back from Junmyeon and read the new message as quickly as he could, his eyes getting wider by the second. "Are- are they fucking with me right now?!"

"They're what now?"

"They're- oh my FUCKING god, they are so goddamn STUPID!!!" Minseok screamed. "How old are they again?!"

Things were only going to get worse from here. "Give me that," Junmyeon said, snatching the phone from Minseok.

He read the messages while Minseok kept screaming, which were thankfully in Korean, and... well, Junmyeon could barely comprehend what the fuck was even going on.

Luhan and his kidnapping? Finding a location? Yixing following him? Almost getting attacked- AN EXPLOSION!!!

Another message popped up, but Junmyeon decided to read it before telling Minseok.

We found blinding crystals as well, with a lot of obsidian alloy, which I found particularly interesting. It was hidden under the floorboards and we found it by pure luck. I have no idea what the group is planning on doing with this information and their next steps, but I feel like you should know and be involved as well, considering this affects all of us.

"Affects all of us?" Junmyeon read the last phrase out loud, the words sinking in. Because, yes, at the end of the day, it did affect all of them.

He was part of this world, not now, not recently, since the moment of his conception, whether he liked it or not. It wasn't something he could run from forever.

He'll get to that issue another time.

Meanwhile, Minseok raised an eye at him. "What did you say?"

"Oh, Luhan sent another message," Junmyeon said, handing Minseok's phone back to him. "Something about blinding crystals-"

As soon as he said blinding crystals, Minseok snatched the phone from Junmyeon again, reading the new message. "I swear to our dead god-"

When he grabbed his phone and read the new message, instead of screaming again, Minseok froze, only confusing Junmyeon even more.